I am a fully qualified and accredited psychotherapist whose been working in private practice since 2018 (18+). Prior to training to be a Psychotherapist, I worked for many years in the third sector as a Support Worker for carers in the community. For as long as I can remember, I have been interested in the layers of the human experience - the longing and the belonging; the love and the hate; the hope and the fear - and fascinated by our enduring drive to survive.
My introduction to psychotherapy was as a client at the age of 27. I was living abroad and, to all intents and purposes, my life was full and exciting. However, my inner critic had become unbearably loud and my usual ways of coping were starting to fail. I was aware of some of the shadows lurking in the corners of my psyche and knew that if I was to really create the life I wanted, I needed to process them and bring them into the light but I had no idea where to start. I made the decision to start seeing a psychotherapist and my pilgrimage to personal empowerment began. This relationship planted the seed which would lead me to begin training in the field a decade later.
My training required me to commit to 8 years of weekly therapy, not including the therapy I had already had, forming part of the essential scaffolding for the extensive and reflective work that unfolded.
Disentangling ourselves from our stories can be a complex task and psychotherapy creates an opportunity to be both heard and understood, with another and with ourselves. It's not always easy work, but it can become a valuable path in creating a more expansive and connected life. I have found, and witnessed, that so much beauty can sprout out of the dirt, as Thich Nhat Hanh said, "No mud, no lotus." Over the years I have discovered that, despite our personal experiences being unique to us, our feelings are often reassuringly universal: we all long to belong, to be loved, to be understood and to feel safe and, I have come to believe that, if we can relate to ourselves with more authenticity, then the rest can start to flow with more ease. This process doesn't necessarily protect us from the falls but we can develop a trust in our ability to, firstly, survive and, secondly, grow from the beauty and the pain.
I believe that a key part of being a good therapist is, not just in the theories you know, but in the ability to be present to yourself and to your clients, as you dare to navigate the depths together. This is soul work.
In addition to my personal psychotherapy, over the years, I have learnt the value in supporting myself with other practices.
These include, but are not limited to walking in nature, journalling, meditation, reading and creative practice. I am not an artist with a capital 'A', I know this as I grew up in a household of 'Artists' and often felt intimidated by their raw talent. However, in the last couple of years I have reclaimed something of my (our) natural birthright.
Before children learn to write, they intuitively draw, it is instinctual. Infants across the world make the same naive images, it is a universal human language. My reclammation of this early process has been transformational and when I manage to get out of the way of my head I have noticed the process rarely lies. Doodling, intuitive drawing and collage-making have collectively helped me to move closer to my authentic self.
I am currently considering continuing professional development in this area as part of my professional evolution.
